Metrology
// ROB COPPINGER
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Design, testing and manufacturing is
increasingly done in the digital realm, but
recreating the nightmare situation of ditching
an aircraft in water still requires physical tests
he rare event of an aircraft ditching
caught the headlines in January 2009
when US Airways Flight 1549
successfully belly landed in New York
City’s Hudson river after a bird strike stopped both
engines. Aircraft have long been tested for ditching and
the techniques and technology used in the process
continue to evolve.
In March 2020, six months later than expected, an
EU project to advance the simulation and testing of
aircraft ditching will come to an end. The €6.5 million
(US$72 million) SARAH project (increased safety and
robust certification for ditching of aircraft and
helicopters) is aiming to improve the safety of ditching
for fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft. There is a link
between the infamous ditching event of January 2009
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and the research project. “The event is
part of the motivation for this project,”
says Stephan Adden, CEO of the SARAH’s
coordinating company, Hamburg-based
IBK Innovation.
Ditching is part of an aircraft’s
certification. Regulatory authorities need
to be satisfied that after ditching an
aircraft will remain intact and afloat,
that passengers and crew can escape and
that the manoeuvre is unlikely to cause
injuries. SARAH has another link to the
Hudson river ditching, the US Airways
aircraft was an Airbus A320. “Airbus is
also part of the project and we have a
strong connection to Airbus for 15 years,
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